Four UBC professors appointed to the Order of Canada

Media Release | January 6, 2011

and three members of the UBC community have been named to the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. They are among 54 Canadians who were awarded the Order of Canada at an investiture ceremony on Friday, Sept. 16. The Order of Canada recognizes a lifetime of achievement and contribution to society.

Dr.Michael Hayden, a professor in the departments of medicine and medical genetics at UBC and the director of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the Child & Family Research Institute, was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. This honour recognizes Dr. Hayden’s contribution to our understanding of Huntington’s disease and other genetic disorders.

As a geneticist, Dr. Hayden has worked to understand how gene mutations can cause diseases such as Huntington’s disease, identify genes that cause disorders such as Type 1 diabetes and develop better treatments for patients suffering from these disorders. Much of his career has been devoted to understanding and seeking a cure for Huntington’s disease, making Hayden the most cited author in the world on Huntington’s disease.

Robert Hare, a professor emeritus in the department of psychology at UBC, was named a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to forensic psychology and the study of psychopathy.

Hare has taught, researched and written about psychopathy for more than 40 years, and is now the president of Darkstone Research Group Ltd., a forensic research and consulting firm.

Hare developed a diagnostic tool that determines a person’s degree of psychopathy and has authoured several papers and books about his research. Hare has been devoted to understanding the nature of psychopathy and its implications for mental health and criminal justice.

Dr. Robert H. Taylor is a clinical associate professor in the department of surgery in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and a staff member with Vancouver’s Providence Health Care Hospitals. Dr. Taylor was named a Member of the Order of Canada for his humanitarian contributions to improving medical services and surgical care in the developing world.

Dr. Taylor has traveled to nearly every continent in the world providing surgical care for underserved populations. He is committed to communicating the need for surgical care in international health and helped establish the Branch for International Surgery at UBC, where he now serves as the director.

Clinical professor of anesthesiology in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC, Dr. Angela Enright, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contributions to the field of anesthesiology in Canada and the developing world.

Dr. Enright, an anesthetist at Victoria General Hospital, has worked to provide training programs for anesthetists in developing countries in an effort make surgery available to the people of those regions.

Threemembers of the UBC community were also appointed to the Order of Canada. David Halliday, an adjunct professor in the department of civil engineering at UBC,was recognized for advancing the field of astronomy, notably through his leadership in the design and construction of some of the world’s largest telescope observatories. Tricia Smith, a UBC alumna and honorary degree recipient, was recognized for her leadership in amateur sport in Canada and abroad, and for her advocacy of athletes and women in sport. Martha Lou Henley, a UBC donor, was appointed to the Order of Canada for her patronage of music and the arts in Canada.